Abortion: Women nine weeks pregnant may be referred to obstetrician
Minister appeals for colleagues to continue to be ‘constructive not obstructive’ in abortion debate

Thu, Oct 4, 2018
Marie O'Halloran

Women between nine and 12 weeks pregnant seeking an abortion may be referred to a consultant obstetrician, Minister for Health Simon Harris has indicated.

Mr Harris was introducing the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill, which gives effect to the outcome of the abortion referendum when 66 per cent of voters supported abortion. He said TDs were making history in bringing the legislation forward to allow for abortion services in Ireland and repealing the Eighth Amendment after 35 years in the Constitution.

Thousands attend March for Choice as Harris calls for TDs to ‘get on’ with abortion legislation
Over 1,500 Irish women have accessed terminations since referendum, Minister says

Sat, Sep 29, 2018
Colm Keena

All members of the Oireachas regardless of their personal views should engage constructively with the abortion legislation that is to be introduced this Thursday, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, has said.

“Women have waited far too long already,” he said to reporters in Dublin at the outset of the seventh annual “march for choice”, which was attended by approximately 2,000 people, the majority of whom were young women.

Ireland's imminent abortion services will be completely free to ensure they can be fully accessed by anyone who needs them, end the need to travel abroad for care and to prevent an influx of private abortion clinics into this country.

Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed the new services will not cost anything just 24 hours after President Michael D Higgins signed the referendum result into law, thereby formally removing the eighth amendment from the constitution.

Una Mullally: What was No side up to online that was so crucial?
Reaction to Facebook and Google referendum ad ban is tactic straight out of Trump playbook

May 11, 2018
Una Mullally

The issue of dubious online campaigning, which for so long was flagged by observers in the run up to the abortion referendum, snapped into focus this week.

While legislators had plenty of time since 2016 to tackle the potential impact of online campaigning or online interference in our democratic process, the digital space remained unregulated as the referendum campaign kicked off.

Voters will not be ‘fooled’ by Government in abortion campaign
Anti-abortion rally told ‘vague’ health claims will lead to terminations beyond 12 weeks

Apr 7, 2018 Barry Roche

The Government is set to find out that the Irish people “cannot be fooled” into believing that repealing the Eighth Amendment will allow anything other than abortion on demand, an anti-abortion rally has heard in Cork.

Legal consultant to the Pro Life Campaign, Caroline Simons said Minister for Health Simon Harris was seeking to present the proposal to allow abortion up to 12 weeks in all cases as somehow being restrictive.

Emigrants called #HometoVote in abortion referendum
New campaign launched urging eligible voters to travel from abroad to cast their ballots

Feb 8, 2018
Ciara Kenny

Recent emigrants are being encouraged to travel back to Ireland to vote in the upcoming referendum on abortion.

The London Irish Abortion Rights Campaign estimates that more than 40,000 Irish citizens living abroad could be eligible to vote in the referendum, and have created a new “Home to Vote” website (hometovote.com) to inform them of their rights and encourage them to vote if they are eligible.